A few woodland portraits...
- Thread starter Elliot87
- Start date
The color seems to be off in all three images. In woodland scenes the backgrounds are usually somewhat busy with foliage, trees, etc. and can be very distracting. Using a longer focal length and large aperture to achieve minimal depth of field is always very desirable. In the first one she has trees coming out of her head. That is always distracting.
Try to avoid high contrast situation and direct sun, as it can blow out highlights and make for unflattering shadows
Try to avoid high contrast situation and direct sun, as it can blow out highlights and make for unflattering shadows
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Thanks for the feedback. I did do some very basic post editing, including adjusting the colour slightly. I really have very little idea of what I'm trying to achieve at the moment and it's just a case of playing around.
Here is the original unedited copy, I don't know if the colours are better in it?
As for the setting, nature is my main interest, particularly where photography is concerned, so I prefer woodland type shots as opposed to studio shots with plain backgrounds. I agree they can be distracting but to my eye they add more interest. I know I can certainly try to work on composition more and avoid trees coming out of heads
Again, thanks for the advice and I'll try some with a longer focal length and do the best I can with my 5.6 glass until I have something better.
Thanks for the feedback. I did do some very basic post editing, including adjusting the colour slightly. I really have very little idea of what I'm trying to achieve at the moment and it's just a case of playing around.
Here is the original unedited copy, I don't know if the colours are better in it?
View attachment 91243
As for the setting, nature is my main interest, particularly where photography is concerned, so I prefer woodland type shots as opposed to studio shots with plain backgrounds. I agree they can be distracting but to my eye they add more interest. I know I can certainly try to work on composition more and avoid trees coming out of heads
There is a lot of green color contamination in the shadows on her face. In a case like that it is a good idea to take a test shot with the subject holding a gray card. This is what I used to do every single time I shot color film. In the darkroom you set the filter settings using the color analyzer to the gray card. The same applies to digital if that is what you using. The other option is to get a $500 color temperature meter and gels to correct the color before the shot is taken. I always preferred the first option myself. I know most DSLR's now offer adjustable color balance using a gray card. Try that next time if your camera has that feature.
I agree, I like the composition of this one best but it is a bit cold. I had already adjusted the colour temperature somewhat but I'll go back and see if I can improve it further. I'm not shooting RAW atm so I guess I'll be more limited in what I can do.
Nice photos. In the first one it is not the trees that appear BEHIND the model that distract attention but the bright part of the first (and "biggest") tree from the left. What IS a bit distracting is a "nervousness of the bokeh" (bright spots, looking like fireworks ) in the third photo, but it can be easily corrected.
About high ISO: it did not ruin these shots. I'd say, it even added some value to them by "suppressing" their dynamics, balancing them, so to speak.
A bit corrected:
) in the third photo, but it can be easily corrected. About high ISO: it did not ruin these shots. I'd say, it even added some value to them by "suppressing" their dynamics, balancing them, so to speak.
A bit corrected:
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Nice photos. In the first one it is not the trees that appear BEHIND the model that distract attention but the bright part of the first (and "biggest") tree from the left. What IS a bit distracting is a "nervousness of the bokeh" (bright spots, looking like fireworks
About high ISO: it did not ruin these shots. I'd say, it even added some value to them by "suppressing" their dynamics, balancing them, so to speak.
A bit corrected:
View attachment 91368
View attachment 91369
I see what you mean and your edits do certainly help to make my wifes portrait stand out more. I really didn't know what I was looking for when I took these, other than to use the dappled sunlight and to try to get some bokeh. Next time I'll think more about avoiding high contrast lighting and look for slightly plainer backgrounds whilst retaining the leafy green woodland feel.
The feedback here has been very useful. To my untrained eye there wasn't all that much wrong with them and so I wouldn't have known how to go about making them better. Thanks.
wud
Senior Member
Thats a gorgeous spot - and also a beautiful model. I think you did very good. The first image is great, the second I think should be a little warmer in the colors and the third I would have used an aperture around 3.5 or 4, to blur the background out (you got some blur but I think more would be even better).
Thank you very much for your kind words! When these were taken I hadn't yet found the white balance settings on my camera which led to the second image being too cold. I now know how to correct that. I intend to get a 50 1.8 soon, or possibly the Tamron 60 or 90mm macro lens. These should help with my portraiture and ability to get good bokeh
wud
Senior Member
Thank you very much for your kind words! When these were taken I hadn't yet found the white balance settings on my camera which led to the second image being too cold. I now know how to correct that. I intend to get a 50 1.8 soon, or possibly the Tamron 60 or 90mm macro lens. These should help with my portraiture and ability to get good bokeh
But nothing wrong with the lens you used - you got some bokeh in both first and second image. The closer you are to your subject (the girl) and further away from the background, the more you will get the background blurred out.
If you shoot raw, you can easily adjust white balance at home (just if you forget another time). In Photoshop/Photoshop Elements you can do it in the camera raw converter which opens first when opening a raw - in Lightroom its under develop, upper right side. Surely other programs has the same feature but this is the programs I know.
I have a 105mm macro and its AMAZING. I use it much more than my 50mm. And its soooo sharp. I bought it used, just a tip